Woodworm (Woodworm) Is he a famous person? no Would it help to find out what sort of building he is in? possibly A church? House? Shop? Multi-storey car park? none of these

Does he look at the stairs? yes From the top? yes From the bottom? yes Is it a normal straight staircase? Or a spiral staircase? this one A dogleg staircase? Do the stairs join two floors? yes Or more floors?

Is he a high diver seeking to conquer his phobias in an Olympic swimming pool? no

Were you in a place that was familiar to you? Were you on holiday? Were you viewing a property that you wanted to buy? When you say bridge - do you mean that it took you over something that was several feet below the stairs themselves? Literal bridge? Metaphorical bridge?

Were you in a place that was familiar to you? noWere you on holiday? noWere you viewing a property that you wanted to buy? noWhen you say bridge - do you mean that it took you over something that was several feet below the stairs themselves? noLiteral bridge? Metaphorical bridge? this one

A literal spiral staircase and a metaphorical bridge? correctOK - was it in a private building? a public one? thisWas it inside or outside? not a yes/no question but inside (:Was it new or old? Relevant? no

Would the stairs have been a bridge if they hadn't been spiral? Were they in a building where you pay to get in? A government type building? An office block? Library? Art gallery? Hospital? Stately home? Ruin? Do you go to this place often? Were they a bridge for everyone who used them? just for you?

Would the stairs have been a bridge if they hadn't been spiral? yesish, they would have been however I think that the stairs spiralled made the bridge 'stronger'.Were they in a building where you pay to get in? yes A government type building? An office block? Library? Art gallery? Hospital? Stately home? Ruin? none of theseDo you go to this place often? I don't personally however there are many others who might go dailyWere they a bridge for everyone who used them? no just for you? yope. And whilst it's possible they could have been a bridge in the same way for someone else it's improbable.

Are architectural styles relevant? noish Does "bridge" imply that maybe part of the stairs were constructed to look more modern than the others, thus "bridging" two eras? no

Did the reason they were only a bridge for you and not others have to do with a previous action you performed that day? at another time in the same building? with your mental state at the time? with a personal opinion of yours?

Did the reason they were only a bridge for you and not others have to do with a previous action you performed that day? noish at another time in the same building? no with your mental state at the time? yope with a personal opinion of yours? yope

Were the stairs a bridge just because of their existence, or did you have to do something to make them such? (e.g. did you have to walk up or down them? Look at them from a certain angle?) The stairs were a bridge because I walked down them

Did you walk down them on your way to a relevant place? This to a limited extent While leaving a relevant place? noish Or would an exact copy of those stairs serve as a bridge no matter what two locations it connected? Yes

So would any spiral staircase with, let's say, over 50 steps work? Probably, although I think/thought there were more than this Is it anything to do with whether you can see the bottom from the top or vice versa? no/ish Perspective relevant at all? no/ish

Would ascending them work? possibly however the speed with which the stairs were descended is relevant to a degree and this speed would not be possible when ascending. Although allowed, few would ever choose to ascend these stairs.

So when you say you walked down them, but at a speed that would be impossible when ascending them, would it be more accurate to say you jogged down them? Or are they unusually large steps, where you would almost need to jump from one to the next?

As for why few people would choose to ascend them: Are they just inside of an exit? one that is only an exit, not an entrance? Do most people ascend at all in this building, or do they typically go in through an entrance that is higher than the exit?

So when you say you walked down them, but at a speed that would be impossible when ascending them, would it be more accurate to say you jogged down them? yes Or are they unusually large steps, where you would almost need to jump from one to the next?

As for why few people would choose to ascend them: Are they just inside of an exit? noone that is only an exit, not an entrance? Do most people ascend at all in this building, or do they typically go in through an entrance that is higher than the exit? a significant number (precisely how many is irrelevant) do ascend in this building

Would most people who descend those stairs do so jogging as opposed to walking?

Does everyone who descends in the building previously need to have ascended in the same building? or are there multiple entrances/exits on different levels?

Do people descend a different way than they ascend because: a sign instructs them to? they descend after having performed an activity (e.g. seen an exhibit) on the way up that could not have been performed on the "bridge stairs"? they perform some activity on the "bridge stairs" that they could not perform while ascending them? relevant?

Would most people who descend those stairs do so jogging as opposed to walking? yes

Does everyone who descends in the building previously need to have ascended in the same building? no or are there multiple entrances/exits on different levels?

Do people descend a different way than they ascend because: a sign instructs them to? nothey descend after having performed an activity (e.g. seen an exhibit) on the way up that could not have been performed on the "bridge stairs"? nothey perform some activity on the "bridge stairs" that they could not perform while ascending them? other than jogging - norelevant? yesish

Do people jog down the stairs because: there is something at the bottom that they are in a hurry to get to? they are playing some game/sport? they are warming up/training for some activity? some other reason?

Do people jog down the stairs because: there is something at the bottom that they are in a hurry to get to? this onethey are playing some game/sport? they are warming up/training for some activity? some other reason?

Is the "something" they are trying to get to: a show of some kind? the outside of the building (and people don't like being in it longer than they have to)? a person they are about to meet?

I must admit, this situation you are describing seems more and more confusing the more answers I get. Let me try with a recap:

There is a spiral staircase inside a building, that people often jog down, but rarely ascend in any manner. The people who descend these stairs have not necessarily ascended another way in the same building, and therefore some must have entered on another floor/level. The people jog down these stairs because they are in a hurry to get somewhere. The stairs are conceptually a bridge, for a reason that has something to do with the spiral shape, something to do with the large number of steps (though not the specific number), and something to do with the fact that they are traversed jogging rather than walking.

Is the "something" they are trying to get to: a show of some kind? nothe outside of the building (and people don't like being in it longer than they have to)? no, but people do not like being in the building longer than they have to..a person they are about to meet? no

I must admit, this situation you are describing seems more and more confusing the more answers I get. Let me try with a recap:

There is a spiral staircase inside a building, that people often jog down, but rarely ascend in any manner. The people who descend these stairs have not necessarily ascended another way in the same building, and therefore some must have entered on another floor/level. The people jog down these stairs because they are in a hurry to get somewhere. The stairs are conceptually a bridge, for a reason that has something to do with the spiral shape, something to do with the large number of steps (though not the specific number), and something to do with the fact that they are traversed jogging rather than walking. This is all correct :P but there is a hint of an FA lurking here although it hasn't been explicitly stated.

"no, but people do not like being in the building longer than they have to.."

A hospital? doctor's office? prison? court of law? airport? (throwing some guesses out there) sorry, none of these

Would there be a building of the type you are describing in most cities in the world? only the largest cities, yes If not, is there only one, unique such building?

Would most people have, at some time in their lives, been in such a building? a significant majority of (but not all) people who visit or live in such a city would have, at some time in their lives, been in such a building.

Unfortunately, although an eligible post, this will not count towards the set of 3 required to release my Lateral Maze (see Chatroom) as I have answered it before all 3 of my ongoing puzzles have received such posts.

Is it a public building? related to travel or transportation? an airport? port? railway station? bus station? car park? government building? parliament? How many of such buildings exist in the world: more than 5? more than 50? more than 500? more than 5000? Are they all equipped with a staircase like this? The people who jog down the stairs .. are they doing this as part of their job? as part of a volunteer activity? as part of a business trip? as part of a recreational activity? as part of an activity which they're required to do by law? as part of an ancient ritual? Any of the following relevant: military? sports? fire fighting? help & rescue?

How many hours had passed during the time between the descent and the realization? 1? 2? etc. Relevant? no

Could he have realized this while jogging down the stairs? noish

Did he talk with others about the stairs being a bridge? yes Relevant? yes

Is it a public building? yesrelated to travel or transportation? yesan airport? port? railway station? this is closest bus station? car park? government building? parliament? How many of such buildings exist in the world: more than 5? more than 50? more than 500? more than 5000? It varies between cities but I can tell you there are 280-290 such buildings in the city I was in at the time.Are they all equipped with a staircase like this? no to restThe people who jog down the stairs .. are they doing this as part of their job? as part of a volunteer activity? as part of a business trip? as part of a recreational activity? as part of an activity which they're required to do by law? as part of an ancient ritual? Any of the following relevant: military? sports? fire fighting? help & rescue?

Is it a subway station? Does the spiral stairs lead to some point below ground level? Are the people who jog down these stairs heading for some point below ground level? Would there normally be an alternative way to get there? an escalator, maybe? Did they use the stairs because the escalator did not work that day? because it was too crowded?

Is it a subway station? YES Does the spiral stairs lead to some point below ground level? yesAre the people who jog down these stairs heading for some point below ground level? yopeWould there normally be an alternative way to get there? don't know, I didn't think the stairs would be as long as they were an escalator, maybe? didn't see one of these in this particular stationDid they use the stairs because the escalator did not work that day? because it was too crowded?

Just to get a better idea of the terrain, was the city densely populated? Around New York City size? Can we guess at what city it was? (: you could... it wouldn't really help with the puzzle though... I'll just tell you, it's London.

No fair bribing us for questions! :P I thought it was an excellent way to draw attention to my older puzzles as well as my new one

Is the fact that you had underestimated the length of the staircase relevant to their "bridgeness"? yesish

Would the stairs still have been a bridge had the station been on an elevated railway, and you would descend them after getting OFF the train, rather than before getting on? no, but not because in this scenario I would have just gotten off a train - which is irrelevant.

Is the reason people jog down the stairs simply that they often are a little late in catching their trains? no or is there some other reason? yes

So then, is it relevant that the stairs are underground? that they lead away from the city streets?

Earlier you mentioned that people usually jog down the stairs because they are in a hurry to get somewhere. If it's not simply to catch the train, then is it that they just finished their work day and want to get home ASAP? If so, is this relevant to the bridgeness?

So then, is it relevant that the stairs are underground? yope that they lead away from the city streets? no

Earlier you mentioned that people usually jog down the stairs because they are in a hurry to get somewhere. If it's not simply to catch the train, then is it that they just finished their work day and want to get home ASAP? no but very much OTRT If so, is this relevant to the bridgeness?

As I was reading the thread I was sure, at about halfway, that we're talking subway. I was so disappointed it got figured out already :D I'm gonna join in anyway.

Are the people hurrying to catch something else, as opposed to another train? Do the stairs connect two different terminals? (on separate lines, that is) Do the stairs connect the surface to an underground terminal? Which is closest, people are hurrying to something, or away from something?

As I was reading the thread I was sure, at about halfway, that we're talking subway. I was so disappointed it got figured out already :D I'm gonna join in anyway. Welcome (:

Are the people hurrying to catch something else, as opposed to another train? This issue was more an argument of semantics so I'll explain: the people jog down the stairs because they are in a hurry to catch A train: the earliest one they can. I don't know what it is like in other cities but in London there is a permenant air of impatience over everything; even when they know there's typically a train every minute, everyone hates waiting for the next one...Do the stairs connect two different terminals? (on separate lines, that is) noDo the stairs connect the surface to an underground terminal? yesWhich is closest, people are hurrying to something, or away from something? to something is closest

About the catching of A train: that's exactly what it's like with Bucharest underground... masses of people switching terminals as fast as they can in order not to miss the first train. However i've heard mention of "schedules" in this puzzles so i suspected that in London you actually know what hh:mm the next train will be =D

And since I'm feeling very offtopic, I always wanted to play a lateral adventure, and I spent like the last 2 hours reading up yours... Would it be appropriate/fun to join up now, or should i wait for some new one to pop up?

So, people are running down the stairs towards the underground station, not wasting a second in order to catch the first train they can. People going up are in no such hurry. Up to here, this applies to any station. Does the puzzle apply to a specific station, or is any stairway to any station possible?

Does the stairway lead straight to the level where the trains pass, or is there a level with access gates inbetween? Are the gates relevant? Clearly going through the gates takes more time in the direction in which people usually hurry, as they have to use a ticket, right?

Does the stairway go to the side of the stations where trains pass in one direction, and would you have to cross over in order to catch an opposite train?

About the catching of A train: that's exactly what it's like with Bucharest underground... masses of people switching terminals as fast as they can in order not to miss the first train. However i've heard mention of "schedules" in this puzzles so i suspected that in London you actually know what hh:mm the next train will be =D

And since I'm feeling very offtopic, I always wanted to play a lateral adventure, and I spent like the last 2 hours reading up yours... Would it be appropriate/fun to join up now, or should i wait for some new one to pop up? In terms of appropriateness, you're welcome to join in and new interest even at this late stage will only serve to encourage me to post more lateral adventures in the future. However the puzzle is very close to completion so I'm not sure you'll really be able to get into it before it's over... but then your post could be the one with the right approach to the puzzle in order to solve it and if you've caught up on all the previous posts already you may as well see if you've got anything to contribute! I haven't planned another lateral adventure just yet so I won't have a new one to post right away when this one's over... but you might find QUANTUM, my lateral maze, interesting...

So, people are running down the stairs towards the underground station, not wasting a second in order to catch the first train they can. yes People going up are in no such hurry. not true... in London you're ALWAYS in a hurry ;)Up to here, this applies to any station. Does the puzzle apply to a specific station, or is any stairway to any station possible? Any similar stairway in any station would do.

Does the stairway lead straight to the level where the trains pass, or is there a level with access gates inbetween? straight to, the gates are before the stairs. Irrelevant though. Are the gates relevant? no Clearly going through the gates takes more time in the direction in which people usually hurry, as they have to use a ticket, right? ticket or Oyster card now (:

Does the stairway go to the side of the stations where trains pass in one direction, and would you have to cross over in order to catch an opposite train? The stairway actually joins a confusing network of tunnels leading to (and away from) all the platforms (:

Ah yes, the Oyster card is pretty cool. In Bucharest we're still waiting for the surface transport and the underground to join forming an USA-like MTA, in order to implement a similar concept, a card which can load different modules, such as monthly passes, virtual wallet with "tickets", etc. Currently it only works halfway: for the surface transportation. I'm one of the below-the-ground people, myself.

Is the state (say, mindfulness) of a person different as soon as he reaches the terminal and ends his hurry, and as such, he crosses a bridge from a irritated, hurrying state to a calm state, in which he has no control and he goes with the flow? (I'd say this is so, but is it the answer?:D)

If not, is the notion of bridge that you're thinking of similar to my idea? Have you by any chance played the Chzo Mythos series (5 Days A Stranger etc)?

Ah yes, the Oyster card is pretty cool. In Bucharest we're still waiting for the surface transport and the underground to join forming an USA-like MTA, in order to implement a similar concept, a card which can load different modules, such as monthly passes, virtual wallet with "tickets", etc. Currently it only works halfway: for the surface transportation. I'm one of the below-the-ground people, myself.

Is the state (say, mindfulness) of a person different as soon as he reaches the terminal and ends his hurry, and as such, he crosses a bridge from a irritated, hurrying state to a calm state, in which he has no control and he goes with the flow? (I'd say this is so, but is it the answer?:D) In London this is never the case; waiting on the platform you're trying to guess where the doors to the next train will stop. When the train stops you're trying to push through the people getting off to get on and pick the best location to sit or stand depending on the length of your journey and everyone else is ignoring the "let people off the train FIRST" instructions from the PA system so if you don't hurry and get on soon you'll be the one left behind on the platform (which won't ever really happen because people pack themselves onto the tube trains like sardines). When you're on the train you need to fight your way back over to the doors in order not to miss your stop as otherwise you'll be caught up in the rush of new passengers when they get on at the next station... :P Hence this is not the bridge...

If not, is the notion of bridge that you're thinking of similar to my idea? no Have you by any chance played the Chzo Mythos series (5 Days A Stranger etc)? yes

Let's try to recap a bit regarding the nature of the bridge. The stairs are a bridge only to those climbing down? and only when they do this in a hurry (which is most always, anyway)? You can't "reverse" the bridge by going up the same stairs.

Now, exploring its nature: When you go down the stairs, do you also "cross" the bridge, or do you just acknowledge its existence? Is the bridge actually crossable, or more like it provides a connection, a relation between two things? If the bridge is crossed, can the crosser go back? Is there a certain action needed to go back, or does it happen by itself, say in time? Does the bridge connect: states? ideas? hypothetical places? worlds (the world of technology and the world of magick:P )

Let's try to recap a bit regarding the nature of the bridge. okThe stairs are a bridge only to those climbing down? no; FA and only when they do this in a hurry (which is most always, anyway)? You can't "reverse" the bridge by going up the same stairs. correct

Now, exploring its nature: When you go down the stairs, do you also "cross" the bridge, or do you just acknowledge its existence? neitherIs the bridge actually crossable, or more like it provides a connection, a relation between two things? it provides a connectionIf the bridge is crossed, can the crosser go back? Is there a certain action needed to go back, or does it happen by itself, say in time? Does the bridge connect: states? ideas? hypothetical places? worlds (the world of technology and the world of magick:P ) none of these

Is it even possible for anything (theoretically) to "cross" this "bridge"? or does it connect two entirely abstract things, such that there is no real notion of a person or object being on one side or the other? If the bridge CAN be crossed, could you have? did you? is there any person who could have?

So I can assume that only you understood the stairs as a bridge. no :P However, it's not like you crossed the bridge. correct

Did something else happen that evening to make you acknowledge the bridge's existence? no. It was more a case of it was the first opportunity I had that day to reflect on the day's events Was it the first time you went down the stairs? Yes

Is the bridge itself something "famous" or an original idea? this kind of bridge is not a new concept but famous would not be the right word. The bridge itself was originalIs transport relevant to the bridge itself?? no

You said a long time ago that the bridge was only such for you personally, and that it was unlikely to be a bridge for anyone else. Would it have been a bridge for anyone else who repeated your exact actions in the subway system on that same day (came in through the same entrance of the same station, waited on the same platform, took the same train(s) to the same final destination, etc.)?

I think you missed my last set of questions sorry! You posted whilst I was typing/editing a reply... I usually check after posts to see if that's happened but must have forgotten on that occassion.)

Is it even possible for anything (theoretically) to "cross" this "bridge"? or does it connect two entirely abstract things, such that there is no real notion of a person or object being on one side or the other? If the bridge CAN be crossed, could you have? did you? is there any person who could have? These questions are all quite difficult to answer and I'm not sure what would be the best way to answer them... it might be easier to think of 'bridge' more in the sense of being a 'connection between two things'.

You said a long time ago that the bridge was only such for you personally, and that it was unlikely to be a bridge for anyone else. Actually, the exact question and answer were "just for you? yope. And whilst it's possible they could have been a bridge in the same way for someone else it's improbable." Would it have been a bridge for anyone else who repeated your exact actions in the subway system on that same day (came in through the same entrance of the same station, waited on the same platform, took the same train(s) to the same final destination, etc.)? no

What I find most strange is how people can confuse 12am as 12pm but never 12pm as 12am. Is it just because most of us are sleeping at 12am?

Can we have a recap? Sure, you can have a recap but would anyone like to attempt their own first?So there's a subway involved... Is there more than one subway? Is there a very short way to another station? There is only one subway of relevance though another is within walking distance and it would have been a lot faster to have gone to this one but I'm lazy and had a daycard so wanted to do most of the travelling by train. ;) So instead of riding the subway, you can just take a flight of stiars? The stairs are all in one station. The only things linking stations are the underground trains and the roads above it.

All that could be considered relevant about all this is that there WERE alternatives to taking the stairs...

Can we have a recap? Sure, you can have a recap but would anyone like to attempt their own first?

I'll try...

*****************RECAP***************************** In a certain subway station in London (though the exact city is irrelevant), there is a spiral staircase with a large number (50+) of steps. The staircase is descended by people who wish to board the trains, and due to the hurry that everyone everyone in the city inevitably finds themselves in, this descent is jogging rather than walking. Liquizt could have avoided the stairs, but chose not to, and this was relevant.

To Liquizt (but most probably few other individuals), the stairs served as a metaphorical bridge, in the sense of something that connects two other things, although descending these stairs did not amount to "crossing" this bridge.

Was the (an) alternative to the stairs an escalator? an elevator? There were probably more alternatives than I noted at the time but the only one I considered was the short walk to the next station, which was actually on the correct line. Taking the station I did, I knew I would have to change at that station anyway. (This is irrelevant.) All you need to consider is that there were alternatives available, you don't need to worry about what they were exactly.

Something the recap missed(-ish): There was an answer to a question I felt should have been explored further but never was... reading back I feel this may have inadvertently been my own fault as I followed the answer with a statement that may be misleading but I'd thought the answer I'd given would still warrant exploration.

Well, which statement was the misleading one? It doesn't help us to just say you said something misleading somewhere! (: It wasn't too misleading in my opinion and shouldn't be that difficult to find... as I said the answer I'd given (prior to a potentially misleading statement) would usually warrant exploration by itself... this was intended more as a hint than a correction; didn't want to spell it out. But if you still can't find it... work upwards from the bottom, you should find the question in a post below halfway... and also keep in mind as you're looking that the answer and the statement following it are not actually related; consider every answer with two parts in this way and you'll so find it.

Well, aside from the statement that you have already clarified and dismissed as irrelevant in your last post, namely the fact that the alternate station was within walking distance and on a different line, I don't see many potentially misleading statements.

I did consider your reply to my questions on Sept. 15 (i.e., the ones you missed at first) rather unhelpful, though. We already knew the bridge was a connection between two things--I was trying to get at whether these "things" are entirely abstract or somewhat concrete, and whether "crossing" the bridge is even meaningful. Let me give some examples:

1. "The suburbs are a bridge between the city and the surrounding farmland"--here the bridge, while not being literal in the sense of an elevated road/walkway, has two sides in which a person or object can be located (city and farmland).

2. "Middle school is a bridge between elementary and high school"--here the bridge is fully metaphorical and the things it links are abstracts, but can still be "crossed", and millions of children have done so. It is meaningful to ask what side of this "bridge" a person is on, even if the sides aren't physical locations.

3. "Persistence is a bridge between creativity and success"--here the connected things are completely metaphorical, and even the concept of "crossing" is meaningless. It would make no sense to ask a creative, successful person which side of this bridge he is on.

Well, aside from the statement that you have already clarified and dismissed as irrelevant in your last post, namely the fact that the alternate station was within walking distance and on a different line, I don't see many potentially misleading statements. Maybe it's just obvious to me... X)... I'll get some other people to try look for it and see if they can spot it. Did you find the hint?

I did consider your reply to my questions on Sept. 15 (i.e., the ones you missed at first) rather unhelpful, though. We already knew the bridge was a connection between two things--I was trying to get at whether these "things" are entirely abstract or somewhat concrete, and whether "crossing" the bridge is even meaningful. Let me give some examples:

1. "The suburbs are a bridge between the city and the surrounding farmland"--here the bridge, while not being literal in the sense of an elevated road/walkway, has two sides in which a person or object can be located (city and farmland).

2. "Middle school is a bridge between elementary and high school"--here the bridge is fully metaphorical and the things it links are abstracts, but can still be "crossed", and millions of children have done so. It is meaningful to ask what side of this "bridge" a person is on, even if the sides aren't physical locations.

3. "Persistence is a bridge between creativity and success"--here the connected things are completely metaphorical, and even the concept of "crossing" is meaningless. It would make no sense to ask a creative, successful person which side of this bridge he is on.

Which of these categories, if any, would you place those stairs into? None... both things that are connected are concrete but the bridge itself is not. It is impossible to be on both sides of the bridge (as in your last example). Things that can cross the bridge: ...thoughts; I suppose you could also say it were possible for objects to have crossed this bridge but this would probably just confuse you further... unless we think of the bridge more as a door between two solid things that has been opened in traversing the stairs, through which anything can be exchanged via the things it connects except for the things themselves.

Whilst it is more likely that people would refer to this type of connection as a bridge, it is now a door. X)

Which day? The only 9:05 post of yours I can find is the one where, in fact, you tried to answer the exact set of (originally overlooked) questions I was trying to clarify with my 3 examples.

So was one of the people yourself? Was the other person (or simply one/both of the people if no) in the same subway station at the time you walked down the stairs? in the subway system at all? in London? back at your workplace?

Which of the following are relevant: colleagues? friends? family members? celebrities?

Which day? The only 9:05 post of yours I can find is the one where, in fact, you tried to answer the exact set of (originally overlooked) questions I was trying to clarify with my 3 examples. That's the post... though the question I was refering to is one whose line of attack you've already taken up!

So was one of the people yourself? yes Was the other person (or simply one/both of the people if no) in the same subway station at the time you walked down the stairs? this one in the subway system at all? in London? back at your workplace?

Which of the following are relevant: colleagues? friends? yope, but this is closestfamily members? celebrities?

Was this other person (the yopish friend) visible to you at the time you walked down the stairs? yes

Had you met him/her before, or did you just "meet" (not implying you necessarily interacted in any way beyond noticing each other) that day in the subway station? Known each other for quite some time before that day and were in London together.

Even though Zephyr posted over an hour after Liquizt, Zephyr's post appears earlier on the list! I assume that Zephyr's was at 12:07 in the morning, and Liquizt's at 11:04 right before noon. Chronologically sound but you could argue about this. I'm amused that none of you considered this possibility, being as laterally brilliant as you are :-P. Liquizt I agree with you about the 12am / 12pm confusion, here's some interesting info about that: AM or PM

Did the other person need to be a significant other for the stairs to be a bridge, or would it work with a friend as well? I suppose it could have worked with a friend but that it was a significant other made the bridge a stronger one.

Is it relevant where this person was located as you were descending the stairs? yes - they were beside me.

Is either of your names relevant? your ages? where you live? your professions? none

Is it possible that there are flights of stairs that could act as bridges for other couples in this way? yes

I know I haven't been around much lately but have been constantly checking for posts on my puzzles whenever I have a free minute... I am glad that they haven't been forgotten entirely!! Will be back online properly by tomorrow evening hopefully and will be able to start earning posts to my puzzles again!

So, would each couple most probably have only a small number of staircases in the world that could act as a bridge in this manner, if any? Is it possible that two couples could share the same "bridge"?

Just to set it straight, are the two of you just dating? in a relationship but neither engaged nor married? engaged? married? Is this relevant?

If I were to build a spiral staircase with the same number of steps somewhere, and have you two jog down it, would it serve as a bridge? Would it matter where in the world these new stairs are located?

Did the bridge involve a play on words? a reference to an expression or common figure of speech?

So, would each couple most probably have only a small number of staircases in the world that could act as a bridge in this manner, if any? Relative to the number of staircases that would not work as a bridge, yes Is it possible that two couples could share the same "bridge"? yes

Just to set it straight, are the two of you just dating? in a relationship but neither engaged nor married? this one engaged? married? Is this relevant? yope

If I were to build a spiral staircase with the same number of steps somewhere, and have you two jog down it, would it serve as a bridge? Yope Would it matter where in the world these new stairs are located? no

Did the bridge involve a play on words? a reference to an expression or common figure of speech? none

Hey, I'm just now getting time to join in on the puzzle...hope I'm not too late! Never too late :)

If I were to build a spiral staircase with more or less steps than the one discussed, and have you tow jog down it, would it serve as a bridge? If you built it with considerably fewer steps no. If it had more steps, yes.

If I were to build a regular staircase with the same number of steps, and have you tow jog down it, would it serve as a bridge no

If I were to build a regular staircase with more or less steps than the one discussed, and have you tow jog down it, would it serve as a bridge? no

In any of the above scenarios, would it be important that you are in a hurry while you jogged? noish but it helps strengthen the bridge

Does this bride only "manifest" while you are in a certain state of mind? you and your partner? this

How come the "yope" for my question, and the "yes" for Liquizt? Is the requirement that you set a personal record for jogging down the most consecutive steps, and now having jogged down the one in the puzzle, that number of steps no longer works?

Oh, I just realized my suggestion in the last post probably doesn't work, because you said "considerably fewer", implying that one or two fewer would still be a bridge. Did you really mean to imply that? If yes I'm truly stumped now.

How come the "yope" for my question, and the "yes" for Liquizt? Is the requirement that you set a personal record for jogging down the most consecutive steps, and now having jogged down the one in the puzzle, that number of steps no longer works? No. Sorry, I was unclear. The yope response to your question was to imply that there was another requirement that needed to be satisfied. Yet when I came to answer Usmcfink I was inconsistent and answered as if this other requirement were already met. ..The other requirement being one previously discussed: that there were other options available yet we happened to choose to take the stairs, believing it to be faster...

Oh, I just realized my suggestion in the last post probably doesn't work, because you said "considerably fewer", implying that one or two fewer would still be a bridge. Did you really mean to imply that? If yes I'm truly stumped now. I did mean to imply that. Your being stumped was completely my fault! X) ...I would have answered yes to your first question on this issue if the other requirement were met. That is to say if you built a spiral staircase with the same number of steps it could be a bridge.

were the stairs located in an area dealing with public transportation, such as a subway?

Are weekly, monthly, or seasonal passes offered to the place where the stairs are located? given that some people may attend daily: would they attend this location for work or for leisure? Good questions but please see Wednesday, September 10, 2008 - 11:38 pm :)

FA...hmmm. Because I'm not about to re-read all the 160+ posts to determine if we've already established this...were the stairs actually going down from your position or did you ascend them (like the L in Chicago, in some parts)?

FA...hmmm. Because I'm not about to re-read all the 160+ posts to determine if we've already established this...were the stairs actually going down from your position or did you ascend them (like the L in Chicago, in some parts)? The stairs do actually go down. It is not necessary to solve the puzzle to determine the FA :)

Is the name of the tube station relevant? Perhaps your loved one had just separated from Stephen Gerrard, and he was not best pleased?

Seriously, though: the reason I'm not making progress with this one (and maybe the reason it has stalled for a week or so) is not that I can't see the solution, but rather that I can't quite see the problem. You're at a tube station; you cross your loved one on the stairs; this is a literal bridge; it's also a metaphorical bridge in that it brings you together. This obviously isn't lateral: there must be more, but I'm not quite sure what we should be looking for ... if that makes sense. I think this is just my clumsy way of requesting a hint.

Is the name of the tube station relevant? Perhaps your loved one had just separated from Stephen Gerrard, and he was not best pleased?

Seriously, though: the reason I'm not making progress with this one (and maybe the reason it has stalled for a week or so) is not that I can't see the solution, but rather that I can't quite see the problem. You're at a tube station; you cross your loved one on the stairs; this is a literal bridge; it's also a metaphorical bridge in that it brings you together. This obviously isn't lateral: there must be more, but I'm not quite sure what we should be looking for ... if that makes sense. I think this is just my clumsy way of requesting a hint. <<< There's an error in this: I was going down the stairs WITH him, rather than crossing on the stairs. What's left to discover is WHY the stairs were a bridge.

Agreed. I've read all of the posts in this thread three times; it's just not coming together, and I can't think of a decent line of questioning to reveal more. I'll try to hint this one along as much as possible X) - I realise I didn't really give enough in the puzzle statement to indicate what information I was after for the solution.

A bridge -- to a greater level of closeness in your relationship? Getting you past some conflict with your loved one? The realization that you both liked running and racing, which somehow hadn't come up before, and now this common interest formed another connection between you?

This is honestly the first time i realise you were walking together. The stairs being round, it's the case either that one of you was one step higher, either that one was closer to the exterior as you were walking side by side. Which one? Assume linear 2-permutations as to who was in which positions.

Do you usually walk faster (in a larger pace) and this is unconfortable when walking on the street, but now the stairs were nullifying the difference by amplifying the speed of the person closer to the center? Speed is distance/time so approximating one turn to a circle we have that the radius a person should be walking to achieve speed v, give, time t, is pi/(v*t). Assuming you both do your best to arrive at the same time that means that the ratio of the radiuses r1/r2 is inverse to the ratio of speeds: r1/r2 = v2/v1.

A bridge -- to a greater level of closeness in your relationship? This one Getting you past some conflict with your loved one? yes.. The realization that you both liked running and racing, which somehow hadn't come up before, and now this common interest formed another connection between you? but not this :) but close enough to spoil..

This is honestly the first time i realise you were walking together. The stairs being round, it's the case either that one of you was one step higher, either that one was closer to the exterior as you were walking side by side. Which one? Assume linear 2-permutations as to who was in which positions.

Do you usually walk faster (in a larger pace) and this is unconfortable when walking on the street, but now the stairs were nullifying the difference by amplifying the speed of the person closer to the center? Speed is distance/time so approximating one turn to a circle we have that the radius a person should be walking to achieve speed v, give, time t, is pi/(v*t). Assuming you both do your best to arrive at the same time that means that the ratio of the radiuses r1/r2 is inverse to the ratio of speeds: r1/r2 = v2/v1. Interesting possible solution but not this time round :P

**********SPOILER**********

Me and my boyfriend had been going through some difficulties in our relationship at the time where we hadn't quite seen eye to eye on some things and were beginning to question the strength of our relationship... and had been having some very serious discussions about it earlier that day...

However in our descent, both of us running down the steps in silence, we both happened to laugh at the same time... we never gave an explanation to the other but somehow knew the other was laughing at the same thing; this being that neither of us had appreciated just how many steps there were down to the platform (195)... and due to the nature of the staircase (spiralling) we couldn't see how much further there was to go... we felt we were descending an endless staircase and didn't know whether it was better to keep going or to turn back!

For the rest of the day we were feeling much more happy about being in the company of the other and the relationship seemed much stronger but it wasn't until that evening it occured to me (during a discussion with him) that it had been that particular moment that had bridged that gap between us.

We have since gone our seperate ways due to some slight yet persistent differences but mainly other extraneous factors, however we still talk to each other and get on well. Had it not been for that moment when descending the stairs I don't think our relationship would have lasted as long as it did and very much doubt we'd still be communicating now!

Well done everyone who participated!

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